LEARNING JAPANESE
RESOURCES
Here are some recommended things to purchase to help you study Japanese. None of these are required to use the website, of course. However there will be a few videos aimed at using some of these items.
You should turn off any ad-blocks you might have for this page! Each item is linked through Amazon.com
You should turn off any ad-blocks you might have for this page! Each item is linked through Amazon.com
Textbooks
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This is the "Adventures in Japanese" textbook series. These are good books, but in all honesty, they aren't the best books to learn from. I chose these to make videos for because the local school system is using them and my students are using them.
I will be making videos and lessons for these books as time goes on. If you want to use the workbooks below, make sure that you are purchasing a textbook that comes with the audio CDs. |
Workbooks
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These are the corresponding workbooks for the above "Adventures in Japanese Textbooks".
My lessons on this website won't rely on these at all, but I figured I would link to them in case you wanted to get them! They do help quite a bit. Before you buy a workbook, make sure that you have the audio CD. I believe they come with the textbook (I might be mistaken). Either way, make sure you have the audio CD!! |
Kanji Dictionaries
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Here are my favorite Kanji dictionaries!
The "red book" on the left, The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary, is a great Kanji dictionary for beginners. It has the most common Kanji, and the most common compounds of these Kanji. I still have this book - I bought it back in high school - and I still find myself using it. Pluses: It's small and is easy to use. Minuses: It only has some 2000 Kanji. The "blue book" on the right, The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary, is essentially the "bible" of Kanji dictionaries. Reading an paper on advanced economics? The Kanji you're looking for is in here. Pluses: It's got almost every kanji. Minuses: It's a bit overwhelming! My recommendation? Get the "Red Book" for now, and then buy the "blue book" for when you're serious. |
Dungeons and Dragons
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Here are the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition re-print core rulebooks. 3.5e has so far been my favorite system of table-talk RPG.
Personally I haven't been very impressed by the 4th edition, but to each his own! |
Dice
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Here are a few selections of dice that exist out there in "internet-land".
To actually play a game like Dungeons and Dragons, you'll need something resembling the left-most set of dice - it includes one of each: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20 and d100. Before you buy the 7-Die Set, search through the available dice online: there are quite a few color selections! It's always nice to have multiple copies of each dice, and those who aren't picky, the "Pound-O-Dice" and "100+ pack of random dice" are decent purchases to make. |
